EAT MORE EXCERCISE WELL

The benefits of a healthier lifestyle are well known. Eating more fruit and vegetables, avoiding fatty and sugary foods, and excercising  more can help keep your heart healthy, control weight, and protect against diabeties2But changing behaviour is hard. People are often advised to set small, realistic goals, and not to try to change too much too quickly. However, we don’t know if this is really easier than jumping in with both feet  and making big changes all at once.To find out more, for 12 months researchers studied 200 people aged over 44, who were overweight, did not exercise regularly, did not have a healthy diet, and found it stressful to try to change their behaviour.People who took part in the study were divided into four groups. After a meeting with an advisor, everyone had regular follow-up telephone calls. People in the first group were advised and encouraged during the meeting and the calls to increase the amount of exercise they did. Four months later they received advice about a healthy diet. The second group was given the dietary advice at the start of the study and then the advice about exercise four months after that. The third group was advised to combine a healthy eating plan with an exercise regime from day one, and the fourth only received counselling to help them manage the stress they felt about trying to change their behaviour.Researchers then compared the results to see which group had stuck most closely to advice about exercising more, eating less saturated fat, and eating more fruit and vegetables.After 12 months, people in all three of the groups that had received advice to exercise more and eat more healthily had had some success in changing their behaviour, compared with the group that only had advice about stress. But only the people in the group who were advised to change both their eating and exercise habits from day one met all the targets set by the study about exercise, fat, and fruit and vegetables.Although the results of this study are interesting, there are several reasons why we can’t read too much into it.It relied on what people reported about their behaviour over the phone, rather than on something the researchers could measure more accurately.It included only people who said they found changing their behaviour stressful. People who were less worried about changing their lifestyle might have reacted differently to the various types of advice.The study was quite small.This study doesn’t show beyond doubt that making a lot of lifestyle changes all at once is easier than changing your habits gradually. What it does suggest is that there isn’t one method that suits everyone, and that if you think you’d find it easier to push ahead and change both your diet and exercise habits at the same time, you might be right.

Sip smart: Go for green tea

Drinking green tea may also be a good weight loss strategy. Some studies suggest that it can rev up the body's calorie-burning engine temporarily, possibly through the action of phytochemicals called catechins. At the very least, you'll get a refreshing drink without loads of calories.

Time your meals

Set a timer for 20 minutes and reinvent yourself as a slow eater. This is one of the top habits for slimming without a complicated diet plan. Savour each bite and make the meal last until the bell chimes. Paced meals offer great pleasure from smaller portions and trigger the body's fullness hormones. Wolfing your food down in a hurry blocks those signals and causes overeating.

Sleep more, weigh less

Sleeping an extra hour a night could help a person drop six kilos (14 pounds) in a year, according to a university researcher who ran the numbers for a 2,500 calorie per day intake. His scenario shows that when sleep replaces idle activities – and the usual mindless snacking – you can effortlessly cut calories by 6%. Results would vary for each person, but sleep may help in another way, too. There's evidence that getting too little sleep revs up your appetite, making you uncommonly hungry.

Serve more, eat more veg

Serve three vegetables with dinner tonight, instead of just one, and you'll eat more without really trying. Greater variety tricks people into eating more food – and eating more fruit and vegetables is a great way to lose weight. The high fibre and water content fills you up with fewer calories. Cook them without added fat. Season with lemon juice and herbs rather than drowning their goodness in high-fat sauces or dressings.Replace one fizzy sugary drink with water or a zero-calorie drink and you'll avoid 10 teaspoons of sugar. Add lemon, mint or frozen strawberries for flavour and fun.

The liquid sugar in fizzy drinks appears to bypass the body's normal fullness cues. One study compared an extra 450 calories per day from jelly beans vs. fizzy drinks. The sweet eaters unconsciously ate fewer calories overall, but not so the ones having fizzy drinks. They gained more than a kilo (2.5 pounds) in four weeks.

Slip into a yoga state of mind

Women who do yoga tend to weigh less than others, according to one study. What's the connection? The yoga regulars reported a more "mindful" approach to eating. For example, they tend to notice the large portions in restaurants but eat only enough to feel full. Researchers think the calm self-awareness developed through yoga may help people resist overeating.

Eat at home

Eat home-cooked meals at least five days a week to live like a thin person. One survey found this was a top habit of "successful losers." Sound daunting? Cooking may be easier than you think. Shortcut foods can make for quick meals, such as lean minced beef for fajitas, washed lettuce, pre-cut vegetables, tinned beans, cooked chicken strips or grilled salmon.

Chew strong mint gum

Chew sugar free gum with a strong flavour when you're at risk of a snack attack. Making dinner after work, at a party, watching TV or surfing the internet are a few dangerous scenarios for mindless snacking. Gum with a big flavour punch overpowers other foods so they don't taste as nice.

Celebrate

When you've kicked the sugary fizzy drink habit or simply made it through the day without overeating, pat yourself on the back. You've moved closer to a slimming lifestyle that helps people lose weight without unrealistic or complicated diet plans. Phone a friend, get a pedicure, buy new clothes - or on occasion, indulge in a small slice of cheesecake.